Ingredients Serves: 4 4-6 tablespoons olive oil 1.6kg or 4 lamb shanks, trimmed 5 tablespoons flour 1 leek, halved and cut into 1/2" pieces 2 stalks celery, roughly chopped 2 carrots, roughly chopped 2 medium onions, chopped 12 garlic cloves, unpeeled 1 bay leaf 1 sprig of thyme 1 sprig of rosemary 1 tsp whole black peppercorns 350ml (12 fl oz) red wine 600ml (1 pint) chicken stock
Al,kan Cr/ Fritters Season to taste with sea salt and place the lamb shanks on top of the vegetables. Cover the roasting pan tightly with heavy foil, and place into the preheated oven. Bake gently until the meat is tender and falls off the bone, 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Remove the bay leaf and herb stems before serving shanks with vegetables and sauce. Pea mint and bacon garnish Ingredients 3 thick bacon strips, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch wide strips 100g coarsely chopped shallots 400g shelled fresh English peas (from 2 pounds unshelled English pea pods)
Sea salt
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method Pre-heat oven to 150 degrees C (gas mark 2).
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh mint leaves
Heat the olive oil in a heavy, metal roasting pan on the cooker over medium-high heat. Toss shanks with flour to coat well; then shake off excess. Sear the shanks in hot oil until well browned on all sides, then remove from pan and set aside. Add the leek, celery, carrot, onion, and garlic to the roasting pan. Cook until softened and lightly browned, stirring constantly; about 5 minutes. Season with the bay leaf, peppercorns, thyme and rosemary sprigs. Pour in the red wine and chicken stock, increase heat to high, and bring to a simmer.
1.In a large sauté pan, sauté the bacon strips over medium-high heat until golden and crisp, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon strips to a plate lined with paper towels. 2.Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the pan drippings (there should be just enough to coat the bottom of the pan). Add the shallots to the pan drippings in the pan and sauté over medium heat until they soften, about 2 minutes. Add the peas and sauté until they are tender and bright green, about 7 minutes. Add the bacon and toss to coat. Season the peas to taste with salt and pepper.
3.Toss the peas with the mint and serve.
Pea Mint puree 2 cups/600 ml water 10 1/4 ounces/300 g garden peas (fresh or frozen, see note) Pinch salt 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves Salt and pepper Optional: 1 tablespoon butter Optional: fresh mint leaves (chopped) How to Make It Place the water into a large pan and bring to a boil. Add the peas, salt, and mint and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the peas are tender, about 5 minutes. Drain the peas and using an immersion blender, quickly purée the peas and mint to create a smooth paste. If you don't have an immersion blender, use a food processor instead or simply mash the peas with a fork. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste. You can use the peas in rough purée form but if you want a very fine, smooth purée, push the mixture through a fine sieve. Stir in the optional butter and chopped mint leaves until all the butter has melted and is incorporated into the purée. Serve minted pea purée warm alongside your favorite meat or fish dish. Note: The pea purée will freeze well but use within one month.